Comments on: Hevesi Adviser Is Sentenced in Pension Scandalhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/
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By: Jon Rhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-875498
Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:24:55 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-875498Wow, Alan Hevesi must’ve paid a few friends to post sympathetic comments here. Of course, he still has millions of bribe money to pay them.
]]>By: KThttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-874970
Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:21:14 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-874970I don’t care who decided to plead guilty and what the Judge may have said; these were small fish, and tiny infractions, in a state system that is deeply corrupt.

All these comments about “the public interest and trust” ignore the fact that what we essentially have in Albany is a system in which nobody can function unless he plays political (meaning economic) ball. Hevesi was following the (rotten) rules, and was a very small player. The big guys, the ones who pull the strings, are still pulling them.

It’s a light sentence and he’ll get time off for good behavior (so will Morris). I hope that, despite what his lawyer said, Hevesi is not a broken man. He didn’t deserve this.

]]>By: Pietrohttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-874356
Sat, 19 Feb 2011 10:01:26 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-874356Here is an instance where a picture is worth a thousand words. Compare this man’s face, which registers shock, shame and pain, with that of the stoically thin-lipped Bernie Madoff when he was in handcuffs. Can’t help but feel somewhat bad for the guy. Not excusing his crime, but one can see that his real punishment will be from within.

Yet the billionaires from Wall Street and the banks remain unpunished, able to continue to wreck the economy through new methods of deceit. And the GOP in Congress are ripping apart the fabric of America’s environmental and social safety nets. Incredible all around.

]]>By: JohnnyMhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873920
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:22:16 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873920100 Million invested wisely…less shortfall in the state pension system…..Such a great wringing of hand over the short fall that the POLITICIANS and THEIR BUDDIES made… not the public work-force fault.
]]>By: polly duceyhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873894
Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:18:30 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873894So Hevesi goes to jail. What about slippery Steve “car czar” Rattner, who paid $1 million to Morris to play with $150 million of pension funds? He hid behind the law, whining that he was “bullied”, and escaped justice. He is still guilty as hell. The rat refused to answer questions 15 times, and now claims he “committed no crime”. He continues to parade around Brown University crowing about his ‘czar’ persona. No one is buying the transformation, or forgetting his lies. Even the students want him off the board (see Brown Herald article on Corporate Criminals) Steve, Obama isn’t going to want you around as Secy of the Treasury either. Rattner should be in jail, 6.2 million of dirty money aside, rotting with the other white collar criminals.
]]>By: janice amatohttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873767
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 23:13:49 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873767Cuomo and our new AG Schneiderman are opportunists playing fake Populists.

Meet the new bosses.

Same as…

]]>By: Rev. E.M. Camarena, PhDhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873761
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:59:41 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873761I LOVE it! “I’m sorry if I let you down.” IF??? What kind of family does this man have? “That’s okay, Hank. You didn’t let us down. We think what you did is in keeping with Morris family morality.”
If… What a sleaze…http://emcphd.wordpress.com/
]]>By: JB in NYChttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873743
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:31:28 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873743Hank Morris is a toll booth attendant caught pocketing $19 million from illegal tolls he collected. Andy Cuomo allowed him to plead guilty to a single felony in exchange for receiving a sentence of one and a third to four years in prison.

Cuomo calls this “strong signal” and a “warning” to corrupt politicians. The warning says Morris was sloppy and should have been more careful.

Nothing changed.

]]>By: NYCJenhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873687
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:40:36 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873687Poster W Smith has it right. Not only is this selective prosecution, but completely wrong-headed! Hank Morris is not a state employee and was not obligated by “Ethical Standards” governing public employees. Further, his actions are permitted under the law! He was licensed to act as a broker, and that’s exactly what he did.

This whole matter started as a vendetta by Spitzer, and was continued by Cuomo who wanted to go after a big fish so he could leverage that reputation while running for governor.

don’t forget that part of the “pension crisis” our lying mayor is capitalizing on was the fault of… our lying mayor.

for instance, he invests pension funds in his wall street pals’ corrupt firms, which then increases the values of Bloomberg’s stocks in same companies.

(remember: the mayor got away with all kinds of ethics violations by putting his riches into a “blind trust” which has proven to be smoke and mirrors. the fact that he somehow made $15 billion during the 8 years he was mayor should’ve tipped you off. How does someone quadruple their wealth in just 8 years when not doing anything about their wealth? Ask Mubarek!)

literally billions were stolen from our pension funds, which were invested by giuliani and bloomberg into corrupt corporations.

we even lost tons of taxdollars when ENRON collapsed, but the press didn’t find this interesting.

best to just discuss what beverages the mayor likes to put ice in!

]]>By: Fred NYChttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873669
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:02:31 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873669Morris got off easy. Hevesi got off easier.
They exploited and undermined the public interest and trust. How many others are there, who have used their political influence to stay protected.
This is a shame and insult to NY’ers !!!
]]>By: Robhttp://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/comment-page-1/#comment-873667
Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:00:42 +0000http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/hevesi-adviser-is-sentenced-in-pension-scandal/#comment-873667Frederick-

The problem is that anyone with that sort of training is plying their trade on Wall Street or working for a bank, not sitting in the Comptroller’s Office in Albany working for $60,000 a year and a pension after 20 years. We have created a system where professionals of every stripe are discouraged from working in public service because even with the crappy (or non-existent) pensions and high cost health care in the private sector, their earning potential is significantly higher.

Until such time as the public recognizes that the state is not an employer of last resort but one that employees professionals out of necessity (and also accepts salaries that indicate this) we will continue to have high paid private sector bankers, lawyers, engineers, doctors, etc providing necessary services to the state at a premium.